Willie Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues, beginning in 1947

Birmingham Public Library Archives. Courtesy of Faye Davis.

Willie Mays, 1940s

Willie Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues, beginning in 1947 as a part-time player so he could finish high school. He left the team in 1950 to play major league ball for the New York Giants.